The Jets didn’t just open Year 2 of the Aaron Glenn era with a win. They backed it up with a jump in Bleacher Report’s Week 2 NFL power rankings.
After rolling past the Tennessee Titans 23-10 in Week 1, New York moved from No. 29 to No. 26. That’s a small climb on paper, but it reflects a team that looked far more organized than the one that entered the season buried near the bottom of the league.
Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski pointed to that turnaround in blunt terms: "Over the last couple of years, it was easy to write off the New York Jets as one of the NFL's worst teams," Brent Sobleski wrote. "A bit of role reversal occurred Sunday, when the Jets handled their business against an inferior team in the Tennessee Titans.
"Specifically, quarterback Geno Smith deserves significant credit. He was the league's worst quarterback during the 2025 campaign. He played efficient football in his return to the Jets and didn't commit any turnovers, which is quite a feat unto itself after last season.
"The formula for Aaron Glenn's team to win is obvious: Play the time of possession of game thanks to a strong ground game, hope Smith doesn't revert into bad habits and let a talented defense dictate terms."
Smith was central to the Jets’ clean start. New York put together 367 total yards, with 215 through the air and 152 on the ground, while piling up 19 first downs. Smith wasn’t sacked once and never put the ball in harm’s way.
The offense found the end zone twice. Rookie Kenyon Sadiq scored on the ground, and Breece Hall added the other touchdown.
After the game, Smith made it clear the Jets wanted to set the tone early. "We came out and executed on that first drive and put 7 points on the board," Smith said after the Jets beat the Titans.
"That's something that we talk about all the time. We want to start fast, and I think today we started fast, and obviously we kept our foot on the gas, and just try to stay even-keeled throughout."
He also praised the protection in front of him. "I thought the guys [up front] did a tremendous job giving me lanes to throw through.
I don't think I got touched at all out there, and that's always a great sign. I thought we ran the ball well, which slowed them down, and then when we needed to pass the ball, I thought the protection was outstanding."
The defense did its part, too, holding Tennessee to 195 total yards, including just 127 passing yards and 68 rushing yards. It’s only one game, but the early signs suggest Glenn’s defense may be a different unit this season with him calling the plays.
Smith’s NFL high point still traces back to Seattle, where his best seasons came with the Seahawks in 2022 and 2023. He made the Pro Bowl in both years and won the 2022 AP Comeback Player of the Year Award.
Now the question is how long he can keep this going. For a Jets team that finally looked in control for a full afternoon, that’s the storyline worth watching next.
In Other News...
Rex Ryan Just Framed The Aaron Glenn Debate Jets Fans Feel
Rex Ryan spent part of the postgame conversation doing what former Jets coaches so often do in this market: turning a win into a bigger evaluation of the people on the sideline. After the Jets beat the Titans 23-10, Ryan praised the coaching staff, including Aaron Glenn and Frank Reich, while also pointing to Geno Smiths play and the defenses active day with tackles for loss and sacks. It was the kind of performance that gives a coach credit beyond the final score, because the structure looked organized and the unit looked prepared.
For Jets fans, the more interesting part is how Ryan framed the discussion around Glenn. The praise landed in a moment when every strong defensive showing gets read as part of a larger debate about the staffs direction, especially with the franchise still sorting through what it wants to be. Ryan also took a jab at Robert Saleh afterward, adding another layer to a conversation that already has plenty of history attached to it. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Suddenly Have A New Target Decision After Rookie Setback
Omar Cooper Jr.s ankle sprain has forced the Jets to reshuffle their passing game plans early in the season, and the rookie receiver is now looking at a week-to-week recovery that should keep him out for roughly the next month. For a team still sorting out its receiving hierarchy, losing a young target so soon after the start of the year creates an immediate opening for other pass-catchers to step into bigger roles.
One of the most intriguing beneficiaries has been Kenyon Sadiq, who has already made a positive impression after spending training camp and the preseason on the sideline with a hernia. The tight ends early-season showing has given the Jets something useful to work with as they adjust around Coopers absence, and it may push more of the offense through Sadiq while the rookie wideout works his way back. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Suddenly Need More From A Veteran Receiver Than Expected
The Jets added a familiar, steady hand to the receiver room by signing Sterling Shepard to the practice squad, a move that comes as the roster keeps getting thinned out by injuries. At the same time, defensive back Jordan Clark was promoted to the active roster to help shore up the back end after Minkah Fitzpatrick and Omar Cooper Jr. went down, giving the team another body at a spot that needed one.
Shepards arrival also takes on a little more weight with Tim Patrick now on injured reserve because of a groin injury, leaving the Jets looking for dependable depth wherever they can find it. For a team already managing multiple absences, the next few weeks could determine how much it needs from Shepard and whether he becomes more than just a temporary insurance policy. [Read more 🡒]